Last month the Irish Cup Final between Ballymena and Glentoran received an unusual amount of national attention, as it became the first game to be played in the UK with a crowd since the COVID-19 shutdown.
While there were only 500 supporters allowed (a big crowd for Irish League football some comedians would suggest) what was noticeable was how much more atmosphere 500 people could create, compared to the computer generated white noise that accompanies current televised sport.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect is how the crowd reaction to regular events can set the tone for the next phase of the game. For example, a crunching tackle can raise a cheer that expands into a roar of support for the team to pick it up – usually having the required impact on the motivation of the players.
This made me think about all those little things that happen in a football match that would never be picked up by the computer generated crowd. While pretend noise is better than nothing, watching the Irish Cup Final showed that a match with 500 supporters still has a much better atmosphere than anything artificially created.
Basically, supporters have a real connection with action on the pitch, and it is their passion and unique sense of humour, that makes the game what it is.
With that in mind I’ve put together below some of those events and stories that the computer just doesn’t get.
Sport.dat 